How gut nerves and immune cells interact in food allergy
Official title: Project 3: Physical neuro-immune interactions during food allergy
Funded at Food Allergy Science Initiative, INC. · NIH-11322747 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how contacts between gut nerves, immune cells, and hormone-producing gut cells affect allergic reactions to food for people with food allergies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Food Allergy Science Initiative, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | May 14, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $593,250 |
| NIH project number | 5P01AI179273-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11322747 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with diagnosed food allergies, especially those with multiple or severe reactions, would be the most relevant group for this research.
✕Less likely to help
People without food allergies or whose digestive symptoms are caused by non-allergic conditions are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will map where enteric neurons, immune cells, and enteroendocrine cells physically touch in the gut during the phases when someone becomes sensitized to a food and when they have an allergic reaction. They will measure changes in gene activity in those enteric neurons and nearby epithelial cells and study how those changes relate to the severity of allergy. The work combines cellular mapping, genetic and molecular analyses, and comparisons across experimental models to identify the key cellular partners. Findings aim to clarify which local cell interactions drive stronger or weaker food allergy responses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or reduce food allergic reactions by targeting nerve–immune or nerve–epithelial contacts in the gut.
How similar studies have gone: Prior laboratory and animal studies show nerve–immune communication can shape gut inflammation and some allergy models, but applying these findings specifically to food allergy sensitization and effector phases is still emerging.
Where this research is happening
-
Food Allergy Science Initiative, INC.
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mucida, Daniel S — Food Allergy Science Initiative, INC.
- Study coordinator: Mucida, Daniel S
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.